Tantalus Definition

tăntə-ləs
noun
A king, son of Zeus, doomed in the lower world to stand in water that always recedes when he tries to drink it and under branches of fruit that always remain just out of reach.
Webster's New World

A stork of the genus Mycteria (formerly Tantalus), especially the American wood ibis, Mycteria americana.

Wiktionary

A stand in which to lock up drink decanters while keeping them visible.

Wiktionary
Something of an evasive or retreating nature, something consistently out of reach; a tantalising thing.
Wiktionary
pronoun

(Greek mythology) A Phrygian king who was condemned to remain in Tartarus, chin deep in water, with fruit-laden branches hanging above his head; whenever he tried to drink or eat, the water and fruit receded out of reach.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Tantalus

Noun

Singular:
Tantalus
Plural:
tantaluses

Origin of Tantalus

  • From Latin Tantalus, from Ancient Greek Τανταλος (Tantalos, “Tantalus"), a Phrygian king in Greek mythology who was condemned to stand in a pool of water which receded every time he tried to drink, and with overhanging branches of fruit which pulled back whenever he tried to eat.

    From Wiktionary

  • Latin from Greek Tantalos telə- in Indo-European roots

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

Tantalus Sentence Examples

  • The punishment of Tantalus in the lower world was famous.

  • The story of Tantalus is an echo of a semi-Greek kingdom, which had its seat at Sipylus, the oldest and holiest city of Lydia, the remains of which are still visible.

  • He had picked up a Tantalus and was about to smash it on the floor.

  • According to others, Pandareus stole a golden dog which guarded the temple of Zeus in Crete, and gave it to Tantalus to take care of.

  • But, when Pandareus demanded the dog back, Tantalus denied that he had received it.

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Words Starting With

TTATAN

Words Ending With

SUSLUS

Unscrambles

Tantalus

Words Starting With T and Ending With S

Starts With T & Ends With SStarts With TA & Ends With SStarts With T & Ends With US

Word Length

8 Letter Words8 Letter Words Starting With T8 Letter Words Ending With S